569 – [Daniel Glass Show]: Black Sounds Matter, Pt. 2

In this follow up to last week’s “Black Sounds Matter” podcast, Daniel focuses on three relatively unknown African-American artists – Baby Dodds, James Reese Europe and Louis Jordan – each of whom radically influenced the music and drumming of today.

What’s covered in this session:

• Daniel describes his concept “Six Degrees of Baby Dodds,” which shows how we can connect any drummer of today back to Dodds – a pioneer of New Orleans drumming – in just a few steps.
• A look at how Baby Dodds and other New Orleans musicians directly influenced young Chicago drummers like Gene Krupa, who would then codify that style across the world.
• Understanding the tragic life of James Reese Europe, one of the most important African-American bandleaders and composers of popular songs in the 1910s.
• A look at the incredible number of ways that saxophonist, singer and bandleader Louis Jordan impacted the evolution of Jazz, R&B and Rock as these styles evolved in the 1950s and beyond.
• Remember, love black people as much as you love black culture.

Resources/Links/People Mentioned:

• The Baby Dodds Story, an excellent telling of the man’s life in his own words.
• Learn more about key black bandleader/composer James Reese Europe.
• Check out the excellent Louis Jordan biography Let The Good Times Roll, by noted British author John Chilton.